


Matchmaker, Matchmaker (Make Me A Match)

by SkyDancerr



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, I'm trying, first multi-chapter au so bare with me, max and mike are best friends because that's fun, maxine mayfield aka the matchmaker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 20:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17904908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyDancerr/pseuds/SkyDancerr
Summary: Mike Wheeler as been set up on multiple dates by his best, and most annoying, friend Max Mayfield. After many failed attempts with boring girls who haven't stolen Mike's heart, he's starting to give up, but then one new date with one new girl changes everything.





	Matchmaker, Matchmaker (Make Me A Match)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! I've thought about writing a multi-chapter AU for a while now, and I decided to start one today! I don't think I've seen one like this yet, but sorry if there is one already. Not sure on how many chapters there will be, but I'm very excited to start writing this! Hope you guys enjoy the first chapter.

Harsh rain poured down, soaking the city of Chicago, and a very unfortunate Mike Wheeler, who was waiting impatiently for a cab to hail. 

He hadn't planned for it to go this way. He'd even checked the weather to make sure that that night would go perfectly; that it'd go perfectly for his newest blind date one Max Mayfield had set him up on, just another one to add to the pile of ones she had already set him up on.

Every single date Max had set Mike up on had gone wrong in some way, have it be him spilling his drink all over his lap, or sneezing all over his date's face; Mike has done and seen it all. Those failed dates had obviously brought Mike down over time, so much to the point that he'd yelled to Max's face that he was done with the whole blind date thing.

Well, yeah, she obviously didn't listen.

A week back, Max and burst through the front door of the apartment Mike, Max, and Lucas shared, out of breath and clutching her chest. She'd thrown her bag on the couch before grabbing Mike's shoulders, making him almost drop his microwave burrito he'd been eating on the tile, and had gushed about the most perfect girl she'd met at the bookstore. She'd convinced him they'd work because she was definitely a total nerd (hence her buying piles of books about history and many other subjects), and that she'd rambled just like he had.

Max was very convincing, and Mike had eventually given in. Besides, it was almost impossible to argue with Max once she set eyes on a new girl for Mike. That fact has been an irritating burden since the beginning of college, when Max had proclaimed that Mike needed to finally get a girlfriend, as he had had none through high school, and she didn't want him to go any longer without getting at least one girlfriend experience.

In hope that the new date wouldn't go wrong like all of the others, Mike had started extensively planning the date. He made sure every detail was perfect, like the reservation being set (which he checked three times for), and that his outfit was perfect, and taking allergy medicine to prevent any sneezing.

The night of the date, Mike had double-checked his outfit a total of 10 times before he had left the apartment, luckily without Max lurking around in the corner and giving him tips and critiques. He'd hailed the cab and told him where to go, which was another apartment building where his date lived.

The girl that emerged from the building was pretty, in a way, with long golden locks and sparkling green eyes. Mike doesn't always just look for looks, though. He's more into the personality. But right away, the girl gives him a very awkward vibe. She doesn't meet his eyes, and only speaks after he opens the door for her, which she says a quick, quiet "thank-you" for. But Mike knows not to judge someone too fast, so he figures she's just nervous.

At the restaurant, the reservation was thankfully still there, and they were led to one of the two-seater tables, which was right next to a large window that had overlooked the streets and other buildings across the street. The girl in front of Mike was playing with her fingers and still not making eye contact.

Mike had tried to engage her in conversation, and she eventually seemed to loosen up and talk back. His anxiety faded a bit as their conversation started to flow. The girl turned out to be pretty nerdy like him, and she even knew D&D, much to Mike's surprise, but happiness as well. She was also kind and had a sweet voice.

But of course, Mike Wheeler being Mike Wheeler, he'd done something to wash everything about the great date down the drain. All of the planning and worry, straight down the drain, never to be seen again.

Mike had decided to finally make a move, and had crept his hand across the table towards her limp one. Well, that'd been a bad idea, because her hand jerked in his right when their skin made contact, and his hand hand knocked over her full class of water-

-and spilled all over her tulle skirt and also her heels.

She'd let out a gasp of horror and the chilly water washed over her dress, soaking it to the skin. She's snatched away her hand to touch the wet fabric. 

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Mike had exclaimed, feeling incredibly stupid, disappointed, and horrified all rolled into one. He'd grabbed his napkin and reached over to dab off the water on her dress, but as he reached over, his stupid, bony elbow had then knocked over her wine, which also spilled onto her white dress, which stained red.

"My dress! Are you kidding me?!" Mike opened his mouth to let out a rushed apology, but she'd stood up with a huff, threw her napkin on the table, and hurried out of the restaurant, leaving Mike with a crazy mess and a bill to pay (which he was going to pay anyways, because duh,  _gentleman_ ).

He'd quickly paid the bill before standing up and slipping on his suit jacket. He headed towards the front door, and just as if his luck could get any worse, the sky opened up, and rain started pouring rapidly down on the streets. Mike had rolled his eyes, because  _of course_ this would happen.

Mike shoves his chilled hands into the pockets of his dress pants, squinting through the rain to look for a cab to hail. He shivered as the rain soaked his whole suit, leaving him cold and miserable.

When a cab finally arrived, Mike had hailed it quickly, and it stopped, waiting for him to get in. He rushed in, ignoring the glare the driver sent him for soaking his leather seats. Mike really couldn't give a shit, at that point.

After a short drive, the cab arrived at his apartment. Mike said thanks to the driver and gave him the money before hopping out and sprinting towards the front doors of the building. Mike stormed through the lobby and towards the elevator, his wet shoes squishing with every step he took. He jabbed the buttons with his finger, taking out his anger on the buttons. He shook out his wet, raven locks once he was in the elevator, leaving droplets of water on the walls. Again, he couldn't seem to give a single shit.

Mike jabbed his key into the lock and pushed open the door. He slammed the door, not caring if he disturbed his roommates. One of them deserved it.

"Maxine Mayfield, you get the fuck out here right now!" he shouted, his voice echoing down the hall. He was so done with the blind date shit. He wouldn't let Max set him up on any more. He was done with making a fool of himself every damn time.

He crossed his arms as he listened to the door down the hall open and a pair of socked feet padding across the wood floors. Max emerged from down the hall, her hair mused and her lips looking puffy; like they'd been well kissed. Mike rolled his eyes.

"What the fuck, Mike? You come in here looking like a wet dog and shouting like a crazy baboon, banging doors and shit," she scolds, shaking her head as she pointedly looks down at the puddle around his black loafers. "What's up, dude?"

Mike grits his teeth. "Well,  _Maxine_ " -he gets a glare from that- "yet another date you set me up on decided to take a trip down Shit Street, and I ended up making a total fool out of myself  _yet again_  and drove  _yet another_ girl away."

She winces. "Well, buddy, that sounds like a  _you_ problem, not a me problem." She takes a step closer to him and pats his shoulder. "It ever cross your mind that maybe you're just simply not boyfriend material?"

He yanks his shoulder away, gaping at her. "For fuck's sake, Max, no. You just manage to find me the most crappy dates on this planet. Like, do you  _really_ get to know the girls before you get them to go on a date with me?" Mike knows his excuse is stupid. The date going wrong had nothing to do with the girl Max picked. He was just a clumsy idiot and messed everything up like he always did.

Max sighed. She knew full well that she couldn't argue with Mike about something sensitive like the fact that he always messed up his dates, so she smartly didn't send him a retort back to his comment. "Okay, whatever, Mike. I think you need to go to bed. Talk to me when you're  _not_ an angry caveman anymore, alright?"

With that, she turned around and went back down the hall, reentering the room he knew held an awaiting Lucas Sinclair. Mike's shoulders slouched as his tiredness from the failed date hit him, and he headed down the hall himself, going to his bedroom which held his beloved bed.

After Mike stripped from his soaked clothes and put on pajamas and did his nightly routine, he crawled into his cozy bed, burrowing into the warm covers and sighing in content as he started to grow coast and warm after being freezing from the rain.

And as he fell asleep, he tried to push away the thoughts of the stupid, ruined date. It was too much to think about as he tried to fall asleep. 

But he knew one thing for sure: he was  _never_ going on a date again.

* * *

 

El Hopper brushed a strand of her chocolate, wavy hair out of her face as she scrubbed the front counter of the coffee shop she worked at. Some rushing asshole had knocked over his to-go cup of coffee, and asked for another one for free, insisting that he was on a time crunch. El had too kind of a heart to say no, so she had gotten him one.

But she was left to clean up the mess he'd made, and she had to do it all while also running the cash register, because one of the other baristas were out sick, while the other one was on a trip, and her boss had enough faith in her to think she could run everything by herself.

That's how El ended up with an all-day shift when she should've been at her apartment studying for her psych test in the next couple days. But again, El couldn't turn it down. Besides, she would be helping her boss, and also earning some extra money. It was sort of a win, in her eyes.

El smiled in satisfaction as she scrubbed away the last bit of coffee off the countertop. She dropped the sponge into the filled sink before heading back over to the register. She grabbed copy of The Hobbit off the counter, thankful for the fact that there was no line of people awaiting coffee.

Just as she was getting into the story, the bell jingled from the front door, and El looked up quickly, stuffing the bookmark into the pages and shutting her book. She smoothes her apron as she goes to stand behind the register.

A girl with fiery-red hair approached the register, a small smile on her face as her eyes scan over the menu above El's head. "Hi, welcome to Coffee, Coffee, Coffee! What can I get for you today?" El asked the girl. The girl met her eyes.

"Hi. I'll have a small lavender latte, please," the girl replies. El types it into the register. Before she can turn to make the drink, she hears the girl's voice again. "You reading The Hobbit?"

El glanced at the book, nodding. "Um, yeah. This is, like, my 15th time reading it," El admitted sheepishly. Saying it out loud made her sound a little crazy.

But the girl just laughs kindly. "Hey, it's a good book. You sound just like my roommate. He freaking  _loves_ that book. I've had my fair share of it, myself." El almost replies, but the girl is looking at her closely with an intense look, like she's thinking deeply.

"That-that's cool. It's a great book," El says, ignoring the odd look the girl's giving her.

"What else do you like to read?" the girl asked El as she El started to make her drink.

El chuckled. "I read literally everything. You name it, I've probably read it. I love to read. You could call me a total nerd. I love to learn and take in information like a sponge. I always have. My dad likes to joke about it." El stopped, realizing she was rambling.

The girl smiles again, though, a sparkling look appearing in her blue eyes, clearly unfazed by El's rambling. "Yeah, you and my roommate could practically be twins. I, myself, have never been a huge reader, but he has."

El fights the urge to raise her eyebrow at the fact that this stranger keeps telling her about her guy roommate, but she brushes it off. "Cool," she says lamely. She finishes the drink and hands it to the girl.

El thinks the girl will say bye, but she doesn't. She actually stays in the same spot. "Hey, you're kind of fun to talk to. Can we exchange numbers?"

El was surprised, to say the least. She was the kind of girl no one looked twice at. She barely had any friends; the ones she did have didn't really talk to her. She was kind of just in the background a lot. So when someone seemed like they actually wanted to be her friend, that made her happy. So El nodded. "Yeah, sure."

El held out her hand and gestured to the coffee cup when the girl looked at her quizzically. Once she was handed the cup, El quickly scrawled her number on the side of the cup. She handed it back to the girl.

"There you go," El said, giving the girl a kind smile.

The girl looked at the cup, before returning El's smile. "Thanks! I'm Max, by the way. I'll text you!" And then she was out the door.

 _Okay then_.

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, what do you guys think? Should I continue it? I kind of like it. It will get better once they actually meet. I love Max being a matchmaker tho. And I love writing Mike and Max together. Their banter is fun to write. Idk when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully soon! Thanks for reading. (Also, the name of the coffee shop is a reference from Gilmore Girls, my second fave show.)


End file.
